|
|
www.2farm.co.nz:
is animal & farmer friendly.
The site was set up to help those thinking about purchasing rural land and livestock.
For those who own
farm animals this site aims to provide some practical help and
heaps of information.
The site
helps explain about
farming. The weather, soil fertility, feeds, the animals,
disease prevention, birthing and newborns.
About Me (Elise.)
I am a dairy farmers daughter. As a kid it was MY duty to
feed calves.. (and the occasional pet lamb)
I some times helped my father milk cows.
I enjoyed biology, and botany as school subjects.
When I left home, I trained, and became a registered
nurse.
Years later, we purchased a small rundown dairy farm.. and an unrecorded herd of
NO genetic merit.!! (That was all we could afford)
Later we sold the small farm, to purchased a larger one.. A farm that proved to
be more "run down", and far more challenging than our first farm.
We also worked on upgrading the genetic merit of our herd.
Doing it the hard way taught us heaps!!
After generations of breeding cows (and yearlings) to the top bulls..
Converting our weedy grass to lush pasture, and our soils to high fertility
soils..
Our production soared.
As a dairy farmer in NZ I had
the advantage of attending DISCUSSION GROUPS.
Discussion groups are made up of a group of dairy farmers in the district.
About once a month they meet a one members farm.. do a farm walk... and discuss
ideas. The discussion is usually centered around improving
production..
I am so grateful to our local vets.. they willingly answered ALL of my
questions.
Vet s get mentioned many times
in this website.. As they usually live, and certainly work in the district, they
are aware of ailments in local stock,
Some of these ailments could be weather related .. it could be an essential
micronutrient missing from the soil, or you could
have a chat to the vet about your stock management, and stock behaviour.
I am most familiar with cattle.. mainly dairy cows..
I have also got help and advice when putting this site together from friends
who farm sheep, deer, and goats.
As a farmer I am a "fence at the top of the cliff" person rather than an ambulance at the
bottom..
So
I'm very much into preventing accidents (with humans and animals) and very much
into disease prevention.
I enjoyed farming.. I enjoyed my animals..
There is a saying in farming:
"Look after your animals and they will look after you".
Recommended Books, articles ect:
A fantastic book for dairy farmers & written in an easy to understand way: The Veterinary Book for Dairy Farmers
Topics covered by this site include:
| |
heat behaviour" in cows..
There are details re artificial insemination, and the bovine reproductive cycle.
Animal
Health:
Preventable diseases:
vaccinations, and parasites.
Common diseases:
Mastitis and bloat are covered "in depth"
Hooves, bloat, eyes, mastitis, about antibiotics, wound care.
(these pages are not a replacement for advice & treatment from your vets.. but
rather an
explanation of diseases.) |
.
Happy farming!
Elise
|
Your animals behaviour, and managing them: Deer, cattle, goats, sheep.